Get a repo's recent CI status

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Since no annotations are provided, the description bears the full burden, and it adds real value: it reveals that the tool needs network access, only works on public repos, and can raise its rate limit by setting GITHUB_TOKEN. 'Fetches' implies a read-only operation, and the description does not conceal any dangerous or surprising side effects.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is two sentences, front-loaded with the core fetching and summarizing behavior, followed by concise operational caveats. Nothing feels like filler; both sentences earn their place.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a read-only, three-parameter tool with no output schema, the description covers everything essential: what is fetched, what the response contains, public-repo scope, network requirements, and the optional auth token. An agent has enough context to decide whether to reply and how to handle it.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema already documents all three parameters (owner, repo, limit) with types, explanations, and examples, covering 100% of its parameters. The description merely restates the limit in prose as 'last N', so it does not add meaningful parameter semantics beyond what the schema conveys. Baseline 3 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description gives a specific verb-resource pair: 'Fetches the last N GitHub Actions workflow runs' and 'summarizes pass/fail/in-progress counts alongside the raw run list'. This clearly distinguishes it from the sibling test-analysis tools, which talk about tests, flakes, and failures rather than repo-level CI status.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The intended use is implied and fairly obvious: an agent would call it when asked for recent CI status of a public repo. However, it never names a sibling alternative or states when this tool is not appropriate, so routing is left to inference rather than explicit guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.